NH Collection Palazzo Cinquecento

What the area around the Stazione Termini lacks in picturesque beauty it more than makes up for in convenience, and thanks to its easy access to the rest of Rome it’s an eminently sensible place to stay. More now than ever before — the neighborhood’s somewhat seedy reputation is slowly changing, thanks, in part, to a handful of businesses that seem intent on infusing the neighborhood with an air of elegance. The NH Collection Roma Palazzo Cinquecento is one of these.

It’s not a hotel that’s near the train station. It’s a hotel that’s at the train station, or pretty much as close as you can get to it. The building, which dates to the early 1900s, originally housed the offices of an Italian railway company; back in those days, it was connected to the station, with direct access to the platforms. It’s been thoroughly renovated, so now it feels something like a contemporary business hotel (albeit one that has actual Roman ruins sitting in the front yard.) Guest rooms are spacious and comfortable, with parquet floors and a subdued white, beige, and gray color scheme. Standard amenities include Lavazza coffee machines, rain showers, flat-screen TVs, free wi-fi, and the NH brand’s signature pillow menu, bedding, and bath products.

Unlike so many Roman villas and palaces, this building wasn’t originally designed with leisure in mind. So it stands to reason that the hotel's most noteworthy public space isn’t one of the lobby level offices transformed into a seating area, but a new addition — the fabulous outdoor lounge that now occupies the rooftop of the building. With panoramic views over the city below, it’s a picture-perfect spot to soak up a few rays on a chaise lounge, sip a Bellini, and plan your journey onward. Don’t worry about hailing a taxi: the train station, as you well know, is close by.